Swiss tech thrash masters Coroner are usually brought up in the conversation when talking about the greatest thrash metal bands. However the community seems to be divided on whether it's the early albums (R.I.P. and Punishment for Decadence) or the later albums (No More Color and Mental Vortex) which deserve the distinction as best Coroner album. I choose the early ones, specifically Punishment for Decadence. Corner is an exceptionally talented band, pushing the boundaries of thrash with complex song structures and masterful instrumental performances. Tommy T Baron's guitar work is superb, quite possibly the best we've seen in the genre. Take a listen to Arc-Lite and see for yourself.

Dark Angel, or more affectionately known as DARK FUCKIN' ANGEL, put out this masterful display of thrashing madness in 1986 and absolutely NOTHING has lived up to it's standard since. That's right. Nothing since 1986 has been able to hang with Darkness Descends. The production fits the album perfectly. Modern production wouldn't do this album justice, it needs the raw unpolished feel of the 80s thrash production. Don Doty's vocal performance here is the best in thrash metal. That's all there is to it. His scream in Darkness Descends, his falsetto in Merciless Death, Don Doty is unrivaled. Gene Hoglan bashes his way into our hearts and minds with his stellar performance here, and the guitars tear away at your flesh with ripping fast riffs and solos. This is as good as it gets when you're talking about true thrash metal, you really just don't get any better. The city is guilty, the crime is life, the punishment is death. DARKNESS DESCENDS!!

One of heavy metal's all time great voices, great performers, and great men in general. Dio left a huge mark on the metal world with his music, and while it's hard to just pick any 1 album, I picked this one from his solo career. It's got some of my favorite songs and I can put it on at anytime no matter how I feel and really enjoy his voice and the music. R.I.P. Ronnie. You are missed.

This album is pure fucking speed and aggression by a bunch of angry young dudes loaded the fuck up on heroin. Dave Mustaine and Chris Poland turn in incredible performances, Ellefson's bass accentuates the music well, and Gar Samuelson's drumming is quite good actually. Chris and Gar have their roots more in jazz than any kind of hard rock or heavy metal, and their skill shines through here. RATTLE YOUR GOD DAMN HEAD. Dave Mustaine forever! m/

Metal Church's debut is not exactly a "pure thrash" release. It kind of straddles the line between heavy metal and thrash metal, but I digress, it doesn't really matter. This album is fantastic and completely underrated. David Wayne's vocal performance here is one of the finest in the genre, he's got a wide range and he uses it to his advantage quite well. Vanderhoof and Wells don't really mix it up too well with the riffs, but they certainly make up for it with bad ass solos. The title track here "Metal Church" is a thrash anthem, and the song "Hitman" is one of my all time favorites.

New York thrash legends Overkill debuted their first album in 1985. Feel the Fire has been one of my favorite albums since the first time I heard it, and it's appeal has not worn off. The combination of Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth's vocals and D.D. Verni's bass lines are unmistakable. Once you hear them, you KNOW it's Overkill. Bobby Gustafson brings blazing speedy riffs with infectiously catchy rhythms to the able, and Rat Skates (awesome name!) turns in a relentless drum performance. Though the album was not released until 1985, Overkill had been playing a lot of these songs long before then at various shows throughout New York and New Jersey. Monetary issues stopped them from recording this earlier, but the album is still a legendary thrasher with the best bassist in thrash - D.D. Verni!

Everybody knows Metallica's contribution to metal. I don't really need to write anything here because it's Metallica. This is my favorite Metallica album, two of it's songs are written by Dave Mustaine. Though neither of them are particularly stand-out tracks. Creeping Death, Fade to Black, For Whom the Bell Tolls. All went to become massively popular tracks from this album. James' does a great job on the vocals here, Cliff as usual is stellar on the bass, and Kirk has a few pretty nice solos and riffs. Lars sucks.